Culinary Manager

Manager, Culinary Innovation – Snack Brands

JOB SUMMARY AND SCOPE

The Manager, Culinary Innovation is responsible for managing external and internal

activities involving product development and menu innovation for Pretzelmaker and Hot Dog on a Stick.

He/she manages the company’s test kitchen and works closely with the marketing, supply chain, quality

assurance, operations, and training departments. With the ultimate goal of driving sales

and increasing profitability, the manager, culinary innovation will work with the Culinary

Innovation team to develop the brand’s culinary strategy, then work on sourcing

ingredients, recipe development, recipe-writing, cost engineering, and product

showings. The manager, culinary innovation will also be integral in the testing and

implementation of the new items. In addition to new menu item development, the

manager, culinary innovation will work with our operations team and field-level area

supervisors and managers to streamline existing culinary processes.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Product Development 50%

The manager, culinary innovation will manage all steps of the product development process

including:

• Inspiration – Using industry trends, trade shows, primary and secondary

research, and competitive analysis to determine which “big ideas” FAT Brands concepts should

pursue for its menu.

• Ideation – Produce menu item ideas. This ideation may be done with support of

company and franchise stakeholders or supplier partners.

• Validation – Utilize survey tools, focus groups, or other data collection methods

to determine if menu items produced in previous step are appropriate for FAT Brands concepts

• Formulation – Write recipes for the menu items including quantities and

procedures used. Food cost targets and operational constraints must be

considered in this step.

• Implementation – Work with the appropriate cross-functional teams for

communication, testing, development of training materials, and other activities for

the new menu item.

Activities involved in these steps may include: product sourcing, product showings with the

executive team, writing recipes, presenting items to the internal team, Franchise Advisory Board,

Executive team, and more.

Core Culinary Refinement 30%

Lead or provide support regarding all food-related initiatives, including but not limited to:

• Identifying potential opportunities for improving food or labor costs

• Operational simplifications for core menu items

• Utilize data (research, guest comments, etc.) to improve food quality

Test Kitchen Management 10%

The manager, culinary innovation will provide support regarding all activities involved with

the FAT Brands test kitchen, including but not limited to ordering product, cleaning &

sanitation, inventory, and equipment maintenance.

Other Activities 10%

• Represent the brand on TV and other PR appearances as necessary.

• Work with the IT team to program new recipes into back-office system .

• May be called to act as a food stylist for video/photo/social media shoots.

• Nutritional analysis and compilation of nutritional and allergen information for

menu items.

RECOMMENDED MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Experience in the development of menu items for a multi-unit restaurant brand

(preferably limited service)

2. Understanding of the financials of a restaurant operation including food and labor

costs.

3. Understanding of consumer research and trend analysis to support strategy

development including both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

4. Experience in effectively guiding and managing external resource partners in

accomplishing assigned responsibilities.

5. Experience in working in a cross-functional environment where on-going

communication and information sharing are vital to achieving success.

6. Strong written and verbal skills and ability to interface effectively with all levels of

the organization and franchise owners.

7. Ability to influence decision making using consumer and business insight to drive

rationale.

8. Experience in planning and managing budgets.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature, type, and level

of work being performed by the Employee(s) functioning in this job. They are not

intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and

skills required of personnel so classified nor should they be construed as limiting

the Company’s right to modify the duties of the job.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts, food science, or related field (preferred).

Experience: 1-5 years previous menu development experience with a multi-unit

restaurant brand (preferred).

Travel: Up to 30% travel may be required in this position, including

occasional overnight travel.

WORK CONDITIONS:

This work is typically performed in a restaurant or office environment. While performing

the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and talk or hear.

The employee is occasionally required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and

reach with hands and arms. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 20

pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific visions abilities

required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision,

depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

HAZARDS:

The hazards are only those present in a normal restaurant or office setting or while

traveling by car or plane.